Bound: Toxic Bite (Book 1)

Chapter XXVI

When I said those words, my mind suddenly went blank, trying to figure out if that really came out of me. But it did. And no matter how much I wondered why, it felt right. Was going really the solution? I asked myself a few times, but there was no such time for thinking. I felt my hands cold, as everyone's attention was suddenly on me.

"No, Amelia, we can't go. You're not ready. You're not even close." Christian almost exclaimed, and he obviously wasted no time to spill out his thoughts. But the need to see Dimitri, at least for one night, it was stronger than me. I had been dying inside without him, longing to see those emerald eyes stare at mine again.

I felt my voice cracking, but still I spoke. "I'm ready. The ball is in three days. That's my birthday." I said, waiting for maybe one of them to connect the dots.

But who else than Calliope. "Your powers are rising that night." She muttered mostly to herself, but we all heard it perfectly clear. And I knew that. I was familiar with it, but it didn't stop me from wanting to see Dimitri again. Nothing could. The want I had for him, it was growing bigger in my heart. And I could no longer hide it. I could no longer push it away when it was eating me alive. It had been almost a week since I last saw him, and I've been dreaming about him every single night. I saw him everywhere. And when the night fell, and the stars guarded by the moon cleared on the sky, I almost felt him close. Because I knew that at least we were under the same sky.

I noticed Christian's eyes on me, but no matter how much he was telling me to hold on, to wait until I was ready, the simple news about the masquerade ball were just pushing me to think about him more. To long to see him even more. "I'll be strong that night. I'm getting my powers and there's no escape from that. Why not use it as a way of seeing him?" I said, unable to break eye contact with Christian. He was always the one that had answers, the one I somehow trusted the most. Yes, I trust you, I wanted to tell him. I simply wanted him to agree. I needed him to agree.

I heard Calliope sigh, partly in frustration. "No, Amelia." Her cold voice caused me to turn my head and look at her. I stared at her in surprise, almost shocked from her words. "You don't know this, but the night when you'll get your powers, you'll be weak. It has the complete opposite effect."

Everyone listened to Calliope in silence, as I felt my eyes filling with tears. I looked at Sara and she looked like she was lost, and I couldn't blame her. On the other hand, Christian and Charles looked like they understood every single word that came out of Calliope. They understood, and so did I, but I didn't even think about backing off. "I don't care." I said clearly, not breaking eye contact with Christian, but when he heard me, he was practically cutting me with his sharp gaze. With those cold dark pearls that held that threat, fury and warning in them. But I didn't care.

"Amelia," His deep voice caused my eyes to burn with more hot tears, but I did my best to hold them in. "None of us are going to be ready in such short amount of time." I looked at him, my lips parting as I took in the air to mouth out something. Anything, just for him to change his mind. But he saw it coming, and simple didn't let me speak. "I said no. End of story."

My lungs filled with breath, as the exhale came out shaky. My eyes shot to Charles, looking for some kind of an complain. I wanted him to take my side at this point, because I knew Dimitri was his good friend. We all wanted him back, and I had no clue how Christian was able to act so calmed. Almost like it was a good thing. A right thing.

"Christian," I said, looking back at him as I felt everyone's eyes on me. "This might be our only chance to get him back. Please," I said quietly, and unable to keep myself in place, I stood up. He stared at me, and I wasn't sure if he was considering it, if he was hesitating, or was his answer going to be no again.